Curried Rice, Chicken and Apple Salad

Curried Rice, Chicken and Apple Salad

Originally published September 2015, updated September 2017.

Let’s talk about lunch.

Back in the day when I was a little kiddie, my mum had my sister and I packing our own school lunches. This was an activity we had to do each evening, not in the morning before dashing out the door, or else we risked losing our weekly pocket money. Pocket money was a big deal for me and was spent on life’s necessities – things like gel pens, Skittles, mini backpacks, earrings, and other bedazzled accessories from fine retailers such as Claire’s and Ardene. Fashionista of the 90s, right here.

Looking back, the food inside our lunch bags wasn’t the healthiest, and many lunches were made against my will during times when I would have far rather been watching Full House or Boy Meets World. However, it’s a policy I’m glad my mum enforced because the habit has stuck with me ever since.

Back in junior high (that’s grade 7-9 for those that live in places without schools for this extremely awkward life stage), I recall plenty of my friends buying lunch from the cafeteria (more commonly known as ‘the caf’). Others went out to nearby fine dining establishments like Wendy’s and McDonalds. This appealed to me for a while, but when I realized that buying lunch meant less money to spend on fruit-scented gel pens and friendship bracelets, I quickly reverted to my usual practice.

The other day as I was walking home from work (clearly a time when some of my deepest, most profound thinking is done), I was comparing habits of my schoolmates to my co-workers. We’re really lucky to have a different food trucks parked outside the office every day of the week, and there’s a good handful of people who take advantage of the convenience. We also have some nearby restaurants, and I know a few coworkers who eat at these places on most days of the week.

Then we have the large population of people (and I’m included in this group) who are the lululemon shopper-carrying type. We jockey for space in the office fridge and sometimes grab another person’s lunch by accident because their lululemon bag is one in a collection of 15+. You know you work in Vancouver when… 🙈

These days, my office lunches are a whole lot healthier (and in my opinion, a lot more delicious) than the ones I packed myself as a kid. Having a food blog helps because I often find myself with leftovers at the end of the weekend, and that’s exactly how today’s recipe was created.

Recently Minute Rice challenged me to make a lunch that nobody would want to share because it’s so good. So many came to mind, but in the end I went with this Curried Rice, Chicken and Apple Salad because it’s easy to transport and can be eaten hot or cold. More importantly, it’s got SO many different textures and is bursting with warm Indian-inspired flavours.

If you do as I’ve done and make this recipe with quick-cooking rice, it should only take about 15 minutes to prepare. And if you really want to be on your game when it comes to eating clean throughout the week, I highly recommend doubling it as it holds up well in the fridge for several days.

Curried Rice, Chicken and Apple Salad

This Indian-inspired rice-based salad is a delicious healthy choice for the take-to-work lunches you’re enjoying this fall. Using instant rice shortens the cooking time so that it can be ready in less than 30 minutes.

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My name is Angela and I've got a fiery passion for turning fresh, healthy ingredients into delicious mouth-watering meals. I love watermelon, green smoothies, and running around Vancouver, the city I'm proud to call home.

[…] 6. Curried Rice, Chicken and Apple Salad | Eat, Spin, Run, Repeat Say hello to a lunch you won’t want to share. Crunchy pistachios, dried cranberries and apple make this chicken and rice salad rise above the rest. It’ll hold up well in the fridge for a few days, so feel free to double it if you’re feeding hungry kiddos (or adults!). Use quick-cooking brown rice to have this meal ready in under 15 minutes. Recipe makes 3 servings. […]

[…] 6. Curried Rice, Chicken and Apple Salad | Eat, Spin, Run, Repeat Say hello to a lunch you won’t want to share. Crunchy pistachios, dried cranberries and apple make this chicken and rice salad rise above the rest. It’ll hold up well in the fridge for a few days, so feel free to double it if you’re feeding hungry kiddos (or adults!). Use quick-cooking brown rice to have this meal ready in under 15 minutes. Recipe makes 3 servings. […]

[…] 6. Curried Rice, Chicken and Apple Salad | Eat, Spin, Run, Repeat Say hello to a lunch you won’t want to share. Crunchy pistachios, dried cranberries and apple make this chicken and rice salad rise above the rest. It’ll hold up well in the fridge for a few days, so feel free to double it if you’re feeding hungry kiddos (or adults!). Use quick-cooking brown rice to have this meal ready in under 15 minutes. Recipe makes 3 servings. […]